Site Rules

Gildenburgh Water Site Rules & Regulations

Permission To Dive

Divers are reminded that Gildenburgh Water is privately owned, and that they are permitted to enter the site and dive at the sole discretion of the owners. Such permission is granted based on the qualifications, safe diving practices and conduct of the divers, as well as their interaction with other site users and site staff. Taking the foregoing into account, from time to time, the owners may have no alternative but to refuse access to the site to certain parties, or to ask them to leave the property. In such a situation, their decision is final, and will be based on safety and the best interests of the site and its users.

Safe Diving Practices

Divers must adhere to the relevant “Safe Diving Practices” as specified by their training agency. Any breaches of the relevant code of conduct will be brought to the attention of the diver in question and/or his instructor or diving officer.

Proof of Qualifications

Divers must always have their diving qualification and logbook when visiting Gildenburgh Water, as they may be asked to produce them as evidence of identity and diving experience.

No Solo Diving

Divers must always dive with a buddy. If you do not have a buddy on the day, please report to Reception and we will do our best to find one for you. In the event that we cannot find a buddy for you, we will have no option but to refund your dive fee.

Do not attempt to dive as a solo diver. You will be asked to exit the water, and will be banned from using the site in the future.

Groups

If you sign in as part of a club or school, you should be very clear who your buddy is at the time of entering the water, as this will be the first question asked of you in the event of diver separation.

Gildenburgh Water does not encourage diving in a threesome, and in the event divers are in a threesome, they should have a clear agreement as to what action each will take in the event of diver separation.

Diver Training By Commercial Dice Schools and Independent Instructors

We expect all commercial enterprises to adhere to the standards and procedures of their respective training agency.

We additionally expect all commercial enterprises to adhere to Health and Safety Executive regulations as applied to diver training

Rescue Training

We are sympathetic to dive schools and clubs now being required to perform “realistic” rescue assessments and practices. However, other site users should be able to recognise that these are not real emergencies. While we accept that the word “help” may need to be used to enhance the realism of the exercise, we suggest that other measures be taken at the same time to ensure that other site users and bystanders do not misconstrue the situation. All rescue groups should carry out an adequate risk assessment to this end. Otherwise, the emergency team may be called out as a false alarm. It is not good enough simply to go to Reception and say “we’re doing a rescue scenario”.

Junior Divers (10 – 15 year Olds)

This is one of the very few sites that permits divers under 12 years of age, However, it is permitted under strict criteria:

All diving equipment should be of the correct size and fit.

For juniors under 12 years of age, entry is only permitted in the lake from late June to the end of September (phone to check water temperature)

Juniors above 12 years of age may dive all year round, but should be wearing drysuits once the water temperature drops below 10 degrees. (phone to check water temperature)

All relevant standards of the diver training agency must be strictly followed.

Rebreather Divers

We recognise that rebreather divers mainly use Gildenburgh Water to test equipment and equipment configuration. However, rebreather divers are still subject to site rules, in particular that they will not be permitted to dive as solo divers.

All rebreather divers should carry a delayed SMB (one each). In the event of diver separation, this should be deployed immediately.

Emergency Procedures

All divers should take time to read the emergency information boards and be familiar with Gildenburgh Water procedures.

In the event of an emergency, please listen to the public address system that will keep divers informed.

In an emergency, all diving is suspended until divers are advised that the emergency is resolved.

Particular attention is drawn to the use of thunderflash in certain instances of diver separation. On hearing the thunderflash, all divers must surface. In this case a safety stop should only be taken if believed to be absolutely necessary, and the procedure outlined below should be followed.

If it is not possible to surface immediately as requested by the thunderflash (e.g. safety stops), divers should deploy an SMB to alert the rescue teams that they are there and aware of the emergency.

In the event of a diver separation, the diver at the surface must remain at the surface, clearly respond to the questions asked by the emergency team and obey their instructions.

General

Divers are expected to leave underwater ropes and lines intact.

Divers are expected to read all the relevant site notices and take heed

Divers should not run or shout on site, as this could be misinterpreted as an emergency.

The site opening time should be accepted as the first time that divers can check into the site.

The site closing time should be accepted as the latest time that divers should be out of the water. If divers exit the water at the latest possible time, they should be aware that the air station and catering facilities will be closed.

Divers bring their equipment and vehicles onto the site entirely at their own risk, and the site owners do not accept responsibility for any loss or theft of diving equipment or vehicles or damage thereto. Divers are strongly advised to leave nothing of value in their vehicles and not to leave their diving equipment unattended.

Divers should park in the correct parking bays and should not obstruct the emergency access points or other divers’ vehicles.

Weather Conditions

For night dives (in winter, any dive after 3.30pm), divers must have the relevant experience, equipment and qualifications.

In the event of fog, diving will be restricted to the area of visibility.

In the event of ice, ice diving procedures will be adopted. Only divers with relevant proof of ice diving, with the correct diver grouping and equipment will be permitted to dive independently. All other divers wishing to dive under ice must register with Dive In for training. Other dive schools wishing to operate ice diving courses must contact the owners of Gildenburgh Water.

The owners of Gildenburgh Water may from time to time modify the above rules.